Monticello Police Chief Rob Bross and his wife, Piatt County Sheriff's Department School Resource Officer Lindsey Bross share a unique work-life balance as spouses in law enforcement in the same community.

Chief Bross has been in law enforcement for over 20 years however, Deputy Bross has only been in the field for just over a decade. Before that, she actually worked in education and now gets the best of both worlds.

Chief Bross tells the story of how the two went to school together but in 2000 they started their courtship.

When the two come home from a long day's work, they understand each other's problems unlike a lot of spouses can. But one says the other seems to attract a little more of the drama.

The two are parents and Chief Bross says it is nice to have someone that works closely with the youth and can see the things they are challenged with in a 21st-century world that may not have been issues when they were younger.

The two say the key to sharing the same line of work and being spouses is having open lines of communication, particularly as their children get older and are starting to get more involved.

Before having kids the Bross' enjoyed traveling and sharing experiences.

Quick Response codes - or QR codes - are a popular way to get information.

These are scannable bar codes - often in the shape of a square - and direct you to a website, which most new phones will scan with the camera app. Jack Myers with Social Security indicates they are helpful and convenient, but like most other things, require a little caution as scammers are creating QR codes to trick people into visiting a fraudulent website or downloading malware that compromises their personal info.

There are a variety of ways scammers could get you with this. For example, they could cover official QR codes with fake ones on parking meters, menus, or magazines, and send QR codes via e-mail or text message pretending to be from delivery companies. 

According to Myers, scammers can request that you confirm your information due to suspicious activity on your account using imposter QR codes or by placing harmful QR codes on social media advertisements.

While those are some of the things that can be done through QR codes, there are ways to protect yourself from a fraudulent QR code. We'll have more on that next week with Myers on Regional Radio. 

In the meantime, Myers encourages you to learn more about fraud and scams at www.ssa.gov/scam.  If you’ve come across a scam including a fraudulent QR code related to Social Security, there is a link to report it to Social Security on that website. 

The Land of Lincoln Honor Flight is kicking off the 2024 flying season on May 14 with Mission #70.

The first flight of the season will serve 94 Veterans including 15 Korean Era veterans, 79 Vietnam era veterans from Bloomington, Champaign, Chestnut, Clinton, Decatur, Farmer City, Lincoln, Mahomet, Mason City, Mt Zion, and Normal.

Veterans will represent all branches of the military as well as the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard.

These 94 veterans and their Guardians will report May 14th at the Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport at 4 AM to travel to Washington DC on a chartered Sun Country 737 aircraft to visit the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War memorials, as well as Arlington National Cemetery Tomb of the Unknowns, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, the US Marine Corps Memorial and the US Air Force Memorial.  

This day of honor is provided at absolutely no cost to our veterans and is completely funded by donations from the general public.

A central Illinois outdoors official says they are noticing an increase in fishing and hunting thanks to easier access to licensing.

Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Capt. John Williamson indicates they have seen an increase in activity thanks to outdoorsmen or aspiring outdoorsmen being able to get licenses through the DNR website and app.

The spring trout fishing season recently opened and those fishing license renewals came up on April 1.

dnr.illinois.gov has all the licensing information and regulations. You can also apply for those licenses online or through the Illinois Outdoors app.

A Clinton grocery store owner is working to keep grocery prices down in the middle of some worst inflation he's seen in his career.

Dave Jackson owns the Clinton Save-A-Lot in Clinton and explains the challenge is keeping food prices down while making a profit. He calls the last four years the most challenging he's ever been through.

Coming out of COVID, finding certain items could be challenging, and the specific items that would be low in supply but high in demand would change from week to week or month to month. Jackson says they are, for the most part, getting items in regularly now. 

According to Jackson, he hears often from customers their appreciation of his efforts to keep prices low and indicates they get customers from all over central Illinois that come to Clinton to shop at Save-A-Lot.

As far as inflation, Jackson says some items will return to normal or close to what they were before COVID but other items he says you will not see go back down.

As the fresh produce season rolls in, Save-A-Lot will, and already is, advertising locally grown produce they'll have on its shelves. You can keep up with what they have by stopping into 205 East Washington Street in Clinton or finding them on Facebook. 

Last month, the Neighborhood Care Center of DeWitt and McLean Counties hosted its first-ever gala fundraiser.

The event was a huge hit according to Mandi Ries, communications coordinator for the Neighborhood Care Center, and reports the gala was a huge success and felt they did a good job making it fun and unique for those who paid to come out.

For the Neighborhood Care Center, the dollars raised from last month's event in Heyworth will go right back into its budget to invest in people in the community. Ries says they are steadfast in believing God will provide for their needs financially and otherwise. 

According to Ries, the night had a lot of purposes for them but one of them was to bring the two networks together and demonstrate the reach each center has.

Ries looks forward to having another gala next year, likely back in Heyworth. She says they are already looking at dates for the event and are planning for another April event. 

The Mississippi River impacted by low water levels last summer and fall. Are things improving this spring?

Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford speaking to the RFD Radio Network this week.